In a time when eating out is increasingly regarded as “a treat” and private catering solely reserved for special occasions, businesses are upping the bar to get their staff back into the office with inventive perks like immersive dining.
Lizzie Barnett, senior account executive, chatted to Sally at Ginger Catering about how they are creating innovative dining experiences to stay ahead of the curve.
Corporate socialising, once reminiscent of scenes from ‘The Office’ with surplus bacon butty sandwiches, milky coffees, and token veggie rolls has rapidly advanced. It’s now all about ordered-in fresh platters that cater to all dietary requirements and even something a little beyond expectations.
Ginger Catering is a creative catering company in Hampshire that has become very familiar with serving inventive feasts to the corporate sector. They have been called upon to level-up company get-togethers and help businesses give their staff a reason for a return to office life.
“This year we had the pleasure of creating an immersive plant-based lunch for a client,” says, Sally Elcoate, managing director of Ginger Catering. “It was so much fun to create, and the result was really cool. Think focal pond with floating hors d’oeuvres, faux grass tables, loaded doughnuts, strung bunting of beetroots, droplet bowls of vibrant salads, flowerpots filled with secreted brownies, and secret speakers emitting ambient woodland sounds.
For a small marketing company as part of a team building day, it was a surprise for staff to say thank you for a productive year.
“Our focus is always about giving every guest a memorable dining experience – which all starts with the menu! It must look good, read well, and be easily understood by the reader. Creating suspense is key, but if a guest doesn’t recognise the ingredients, a menu can quickly become intimidating added Sally.
We use simple, elegant ingredients that include flavour combinations that evoke cosiness and joy while also delighting and adding a wow factor when placed on the table. This level of detail enhances the experience and is the beginning of a guest’s journey through the senses.”
With Christmas celebrations approaching, expectations from businesses will continue to be high for this level of detailed dining. So, what’s going to be on the cards…. perhaps bottomless baubles and decadent sharing wreaths!
